Putting perspective on your business degree

Many business students, myself included, often find the things that we learn in the Business School to be very theoretical and we cannot see the practical applications of what has been taught in school. It is not uncommon to hear people voicing fears about whether what we are being put through will be utilised in the future when we graduate.

Thus, having been through 2 years of business school, I decided that it was time to experience the practical aspect of business. It was not a decision taken lightly, as this 6 month internship will require taking a leave of absence from the school.

Nearly 3 months into the internship, I do not regret at all and am positively glad for having taken such a decision. It was definitely an eye opener to be working in one of the largest MNC in the world(ranked in fortune global 500) and to be part of its stellar growth. There is also a big plus of a chance to live and work in Beijing, the capital city of China.

As everyone would probably know, China is going to be a major source of world economic growth in time to come, and it is a very valuable  experience to see what makes it tick. Such an understanding cannot be achieved by reading about it, doing cases or visiting as a tourist. Only by living, working, breathing the air here and interacting with people full time will you get an in-depth glimpse of how China functions.

There are just so many things to see over here in Beijing China, and I find myself learning something new everyday. Such things include seeing how enterprising the street vendors and “black taxis” are, talking to people from all walks of life on a 13 hour train ride, ponder thoughts while on a 330km/h bullet train, and generally just having an ample amount of opportunities to amaze yourself on a daily basis. It is an extremely refreshing experience.

The job so far has been highly engaging. You will get exposed to many aspects of an analyst’s job, from making data make sense to making sense of data. From poring through financials to producing reports and writing analysis for management decision, you get to experience the entire array of competencies required in an analyst position.

Furthermore, you get to interact and work with some of the brightest people in China, and they are not only fun loving but also extremely nice to hang out with.

Even though we are working in the credit department in Lenovo, there is sufficient interaction with other departments to catch a glimpse of how the entire company functions and the strategic thrust of the company. You will get a chance to see how the different functions of business, i.e. operations and supply chain, finance,  marketing, management, come together to make a large corporation with more than 30,000 employees run. It is more valuable than any lesson you will sit through in school. It will also dawn on you that you will eventually get to apply whatever you learn in school in a real world  setting.

Training opportunities in the department are also abundant, and interns get to attend sharing sessions from experienced managers and quarterly/yearly reviews, along with team building trips to foster team bonding.

Whether you intend to work for a company in the future, work anywhere as an analyst, or to set up your own business, the skills that you will pick up here will put you in good stead to secure a bright future ahead.

If you are someone who is open minded and looking for some real world internship exposure, I urge you to apply for this programme. This is as real as it can get, you will be exposed to great guidance from experienced risk management practitioners and you will learn more in this half a year than all the semesters that has gone past.

Think about it, half a year is only a short time when you look at your entire life. Rather than spend it with just another usual semester in school, why not take a leap of faith, and try something new, and open yourself to an opportunity to consolidate your knowledge and putting that real world perspective to your business degree.